Alere Health Blog

Anecdotally, many people claim that electronic cigarettes have helped them beat their tobacco habit once and for all. These e-cigarette and “vaping” proponents are often quite vocal about their success, and as a result, many others who want to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes have considered switching to e-cigs instead. On the surface, it makes sense. No tar or other carcinogens to clog up your lungs, and you can gradually taper down the nicotine.

Scientific studies, however, have not yet backed up the idea that e-cigarettes are helpful quit aids.

One of the reasons people may put off quitting smoking is the fear of weight gain and the health issues associated with it.

However, a new study[i] presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society showed that quitting smoking actually improved the distribution of body fat, redistributing fat from the abdomen to the thighs. Abdominal fat has been linked in previous studies to metabolic syndrome,[ii] a condition in which a group of risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat combine and significantly increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.

Employee wellness plans come in many sizes, with variations of features. Your employees have individual needs and preferences, of course, so it’s helpful if the wellness plan you choose for your organization takes this into account and offers comprehensive services your employees can access according to their own personal needs.

Here are some of the options to consider for your company’s “wellness menu.” Some of these suggestions are part of a wellness plan, and some are created within your organization to support the plan and help develop a culture of health and wellness.

“I have a desk job, and I wasn’t moving much,” says Kristen, an actual 2014 participant. “As far as exercise, I would give up quickly whether it was a treadmill routine or going to the gym. I would do it for a while and then I would just stop.”

Listening to Kristen gush about how much she loves the Fitbit® Zip™ she received with the Weight Talk® program, brought to you by Alere Wellbeing and the American Diabetes Association®, it’s hard to imagine that she was inactive most of her life.

At her heaviest, Kristen weighed 250 pounds. She had tried to lose weight many times before, but nothing clicked until she found Weight Talk. “When I learned I could participate for free through my employer-sponsored health insurance, I decided to take advantage of the guidance. It was the best decision I ever made,” she says.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Park and Recreation Month, an annual celebration of our nation’s park systems.

Our local, state, and national parks offer endless opportunity for healthy physical activity. You can encourage your organization’s employees to get out and have fun this summer by taking part in Park and Recreation Month festivities.

Coercion uses power to pressure a person into a behavior change. But the change brought about by coercion, which often relies on the threat of punishment, is unlikely to be internally integrated or long-lasting. Positive persuasion uses arguments that focus on trust, logical reasoning, and emotional appeals to influence the person’s way of thinking and bring about a change in attitude, belief, and behavior.

Persuasion is a means to an end: behavior modification in another person. It requires no force, it honors decision-making abilities, and it can have some wonderfully positive effects on the health of your workforce. So how do you persuade adults to live healthier lives?

Alice wanted to quit smoking. She woke up every morning and told herself that today was the day she was going to quit. But somehow by 10 am she’d find herself outside in the smoking area, cigarette in hand. She glared at the cigarette in frustration. She knew that she was smart, strong, confident. She’d earned a graduate degree and landed a high-ranking position in the company, so she knew she had no shortage of discipline. How could this silly little tube of paper and dried leaves hold so much power over her?

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